Always Look on The Bright Side of Strife
by Takhisis Abolesco
Summary: [Cloud & Tifa][OneShot] Cloud reflects on his past and how even death can bring people closer together. Just short and sweet, it made sense in my head. Disclaimer: FF7 Characters belong to Square.


Always Look on The Bright Side of Strife

The phone rang from up the stairs. Tifa stopped rinsing the few glasses she had left and listened. It was closing time at the bar, but it wasn't unusual for the telephone to chatter off the hook for at least another hour. It was picked up and a minute later Cloud came down slinging a pack over his shoulder.

"Vincent just called, apparently he's got a phone now. He didn't say anything… but I shouldn't be too long."

The two awkwardly faced each other, not knowing exactly how to say goodbye. They were trapped in that in between stage of expecting something and not knowing how the other would react. It was true, Cloud was not alone anymore, but that just didn't immediately transform him into some suave enchanter, at least in his eyes. Tifa coughed and walked up to him, her arms fell around his neck and her head found safety on his chest. He hugged back, perhaps a little too eagerly, slipping his forearm around her waist and pulling her in tightly.

"I'll be back… Tifa." She watched him go, and then finished up with the glassware.

Cloud mounted his bike. Whenever he rode the massive black metal beast he felt a great weight lifted from him. The rushing air and the hum of the engine calmed him. Even the jittering frame was like a humbling song.

* * *

Another ring of the business phone came; Tifa wasn't in the mood to answer it. However, when her personal phone began singing, she picked up.

"Hello, Barret." The man was noted for calling both the business and her personal phone, almost as pick up security. Tifa was known to 'miss calls'.

"Hey Tifa! So, are we still on tonight? I'm on my way already so ya can't say no!"

"Of course." Tifa breathed a chuckle into the receiver. "They're almost ready."

"Well, tell 'em to hurry up, Barret's on his way, and he don't like speed limits!"

"Alright, I'll be sure to tell them you obey the law. Hey, thanks for offering to take them for the weekend, things have been so hectic lately." Tifa folded her arms, sticking the phone between her ear and shoulder as she clicked the overhead light off.

"Anytime, they're like my own flesh Tifa. I just have to thank you for taking good care of Marlene for me… same thing, hectic."

"No problem Barret, well, I need to finish closing the place up; flip the sign."

"Goodnight Tifa, be there shortly!" Barret hung the phone up; Tifa silently laughed to herself and then changed the 'open' sign to 'closed'.

"Marlene! Denzel! Barret should be here soon, hope you're packed!" She sat on a lounge stool and waited for the thunderous herd of children to come storming down.

* * *

"I'll see you later Vincent, thank you for the invite." Cloud stepped out of the condo and hopped back onto his bike. A drizzle had started while in Vincent's home, and it was warm in the air. It always seemed to rain whenever he was unsure or distraught over something.

_You're in the rain, always there, bringing life to the planet… in the rain._

Cloud's mind brought him back into his memories, the only place Aeris could be reached. There was war, never peace within him. His childhood he was so easily robbed of revolved around destruction and lies. Tifa was near though, willing to help preserve his humanity in trust, he just didn't see it then. Aeris, the flower girl, captivated him with her spirit if only for a short time, he could have loved her. Another battle against himself he fought against both sides, tearing further apart. Then the visions began, the horrible memories flooding back, overpowering his will, Nibelheim, Shinra, Mt. Nibel, the past was winning.

_How did I manage to lose against a memory? I had so much helping me…_

Regret came next, hatred of himself and what he did. Cloud fought this too; the strife between soul and body gave out as he laid the still form of the innocent flower girl to rest. The very strands of his existence came undone, his metaphysical being fell to pieces and the puppet he was born to be was mastered; forced to awaken the most powerful weapons on the planet, along with the most inhuman.

_Sephiroth…_

Damaged and helpless, Cloud awaited his doom. The question arose; who am I?

_I am me… I am Cloud. Sephiroth was nobody. How amazing, only from death and suffering does one truly understand their place, the friends that hold them dear and the enemies waiting to kill them, why? Because I have something they did not… I had a purpose to serve. While theirs was to stop me… we all had a purpose. Even Aeris, without her death, the lifestream could not have done a goddamned thing. We were the destroyers; she was the rain, two purposes in constant battle combined to ultimately save the world…_

Cloud's bike parked in front of the old church, he had no recollection of ever driving. The exterior was shoddy compared to the inside, a warm glow from the moon rested itself on a bed of flowers. Cloud turned to the sky; a hole in the top of the roof let the water drop. Cloud's boots clicked the floor, as he reached to edge of it one scarlet blossom caught his attention. It was ordinary, as ordinary as the most beautiful roses could be, but the way the light sparkled off the petals enticed Cloud. The flower was situated in the center of a mass of yellow; he took his time maneuvering about the patches.

Cloud bent and touched its stem. The thick thorns pricked out at his fingers. He ran the tip over the stem up to the silky bottom petals. It was sturdy, well nurtured, Cloud was almost ashamed to pluck it.

_Go ahead…It's love._

The voice in his head spoke, was it her? He could not tell, it matched his own tone, yet it was something he would never hear himself saying. The rose was pulled gently from the soft soil; roots and all came free. Cloud marveled at the plant, such beauty he held.

_Tifa is probably already in bed._

"Thank you, wherever you are, thank you for everything." Cloud laid the rose on his lap, taking care not to snap it. He rode home slowly; the drive was only about ten minutes; he had been gone for over an hour.

* * *

Keys rattled into the hole and the bar door opened without so much as a creak. He closed and locked it again. He noticed a form propped on the counter and went to Tifa. She had fallen asleep waiting for him. Cloud placed his pack on the counter and laid the rose atop it. Tifa didn't stir; not until Clouds soft hand came to her lower back and comforted her. Tifa's head lifted and she groggily tried to stand. Cloud caught her and steadied her limping body.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Cloud whispered in her ear, "Vincent's almost nocturnal." Tifa moaned her acknowledgement, slumping further into his embrace. Cloud dipped his head and lightly kissed her forehead. Dipping her to achieve a better hold, he swept her feet off the floor and she completely fell into his arms.

As he began carrying her, he reached out and placed the rose on her chest. The hand at her waist clasped around the stem, while her free arm looped around his neck. She rolled her head into his chest.

"It's beautiful, Cloud…" Tifa had not opened her eyes, but somehow Cloud knew she could see the glorious dream she held. He carried her up the narrow stairs to their bed.

"Of course it's beautiful…" Cloud settled himself next to her and draped his arm over her hip. The flower she held filled the room with a pure fragrance. Cloud pushed closer to Tifa's back and placed his lingering lips against her shoulder blade. "It's love."


End file.
